--> London: Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, has described China as the most "sophisticated and prolific" hacker of foreign companies in his upcoming book, according to leaked extracts.

Schmidt, in his book "The New Digital Age", said that the disparity between American and Chinese firms and their tactics will put both the government and the companies of the US at a distinct disadvantage, because the US will not take the same path of digital corporate espionage, as its laws are much stricter - and better enforced - and because illicit competition violate the American sense of fair play.

He argues that the Chinese state backed cyber crime for economic and political gain, making it the biggest online menace in the world.

The book, co-written with Jared Cohen, a former US government adviser, will be published in April by Random House.

The book also acknowledges that the US is also flawed, highlighting the country's role in the Stuxnet virus, which accidentally spread across the internet in 2010. The virus was originally created by the US and Israeli governments to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.

Schmidt and Cohen also say that the spread of Chinese technology around the world increases the influence of the Chinese government.

However, the authors also argued that the spread of technology could destabilise the authoritarian central government.

They said that the mix of active citizens armed with technological devices and tight government control is exceptionally volatile, which could lead to "some kind of revolution in the coming decades".

Samsung Technology Delivers Innovative New Top Mount FreezerSuperior energy performance & cooling performance from new digital inverter compressorAuckland, New Zealand – Samsung announces its new Top Mount Freezer, unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this year, will be available in New Zealand from mid-February. The new addition to Samsung’s Whitegoods line-up features the innovative Digital Inverter Compressor which automatically adjusts cooling speed in response to temperature fluctuations for more energy efficiency*.The result is a 3.5 energy star rating for a powerful refrigerator with a top-mount freezer that is both durable and convenient. Tura Gim, Whitegoods Product Manager for Samsung Electronics New Zealand, says the new refrigerator affirms Samsung’s dedication to providing appliance innovations that deliver unparalleled performance, greater flexibility and more convenience for today’s busy families.

“At Samsung, we pride ourselves on predicting what our consumers will need and we believe our new Top Mount Freezer delivers real solutions to everyday challenges,” he says.“It is these sorts of insights that enable Samsung to develop features such as the Digital Inverter Compressor, which keep the refrigerator working smoothly and minimise wear to extend product life.” The new Samsung Top Mount Freezer will be available from selected retailers nationwide from 11 February 2013. RRP$899–$1,399. Durability, Reliability and Energy EfficiencyThe Digital Inverter Compressor improves energy efficiency and cooling performance by automatically adjusting across five speeds of revolutions per minute (RPM) in response to cooling demands. Reacting to such things as frequent door openings, a hot plate of food or outside temperature changes, the intelligent compressor either rapidly provides cold air, or slows down cooling to reduce energy consumption. The compressor operates only when needed, producing less noise and also comes with a 10-year parts warranty from Samsung.The Moist Fresh Zone works to control air circulation to maintain optimal humidity, creating an ideal environment to store fresh vegetables and fruit for a longer period of time. Space Efficiency and Convenience Features The Easy Slide Shelf is specially designed for effortless food storage and removal; the shelf slides in and out enabling more efficient organisation and use of space. Samsung’s new Top Mount Freezer also comes with a wider and deeper door shelf to accommodate large bottles. A high-efficiency LED light illuminates the new model interior more brightly than conventional models, while a modern style Easy Handle is recessed for streamlined design. About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in consumer electronics andthecore components that go into them. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 227,000 people across 75 countries with annual sales exceeding US$143 billion. Our goal is opening new possibilities for people everywhere. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com

Almost half of Australia's adult population now own a smartphone. Here's some start-up tips for those thinking about joining the revolution.ContactsTransferring your contacts to a new phone doesn't have to be tedious and time consuming.❏ To transfer your contacts from your old phone to the new one, you can save the contact details to your SIM card (almost every phone should let you do this), pop the SIM in your new phone and import the contacts to it (Google for detailed instructions if necessary). This will work only if your new phone uses the same-sized SIM card as your old phone though. Some smartphones, such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S3, use smaller microSIM cards.

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❏ If that sounds too tricky, you can take your phone into your mobile provider and ask them to do it for you.❏ Transferring contacts from a Google account to an Android phone or from your Apple account to an iPhone is simple. If your contacts (and calendars) are all synced with your Google account or Apple's iCloud, you'll just need to sign into your Google or Apple account on your Android smartphone or iPhone and sync contacts and calendars to bring them across.❏ Syncing contacts across different operating systems (for example, from your Google account to an Apple iPhone) is trickier but still doable. For specific instructions see sites such as: google.com/sync/index.html.Wi-fi and 3GTo set up wi-fi, go to Settings and then Wi-Fi (if there's an option to turn wi-fi on, do this), then select the name of the network you want to connect to and enter the password.To set up 3G mobile internet (this may already be done for you) go to Settings, then Network or Wireless and Networks and select mobile networks. Ensure mobile data is turned on.EmailSetting up email should be relatively straightforward. You may need to Google for instructions specific to your smartphone, but generally you can go to the Settings or Mail application, add an account by selecting your mail provider or choose "other" if it's not listed, and enter your email address and password.CustomiseSmartphones let you tweak home screens by moving around app icons and choosing photos (including your own) as backgrounds and wallpapers. To bring all your favourite apps to your home screen, go to the applications menu, hold your finger on the icon of the app you want to move and then drag and drop it on your home screen.AppsApps are a huge benefit of smartphone ownership, and there are - in the case of the iPhone and Android phones - hundreds of thousands of apps to choose from. The easiest way to download apps to your smartphone is through each phone's built-in app-browsing and purchasing app - App Store for iPhones, the Play Store on Android phones, and Marketplace for Windows Phones.PhotosSmartphones today feature impressive cameras and you can easily show off your photos to friends and family by clicking on a pic and selecting where to share them - usually through email, or social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.Other featuresSmartphones are essentially pocket-sized computers. Among other things, you can search and browse the web, either through a search app such as Google or your smartphone's browser, get directions from mapping applications, read and edit work documents through productivity apps, shop online, and make video calls through applications such as Skype.AccessoriesIt's a good idea to get a case for your smartphone to minimise the damage from any bumps, scrapes or drops. You should also seriously consider a screen protector (most smartphone screens are made of glass). If you're going to be listening to music on your phone and sound quality is important to you, you may want to upgrade to a better set of headphones (most smartphones come with a set). Most smartphones (but not the iPhone) have an SD card slot for boosting memory, and you can pick up a microSD card at electronics stores for about $20.

Sony, trying to reverse a two-year decline in PlayStation sales, is prepping a powerful new version of the home console to deliver more realistic games and entertainment features, an analyst said.Sony "is 100 percent certain to announce the PlayStation 4" at a February 20 event, Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles, said, citing his checks with game developers and retailers.The company last week invited journalists and analysts to a PlayStation meeting in New York, without providing details of the agenda. Dan Race, a Sony spokesman, didn't respond to phone calls and emails seeking comment. A year ago, Tokyo-based Sony company introduced the PlayStation Vita portable game console in Japan."They'll be able to put a lot more characters on the screen and allow for hyper-realistic games," Pachter said.

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Sony's new console will feature graphics chips developed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and processors capable of rendering games at 240 frames a second, Pachter said. Current-generation games typically render at 30 or 60 frames per second. As with past model changes, Sony would continue to produce and sell the almost 7-year-old PlayStation 3."We don't comment on rumour or speculation as a matter of policy," said Drew Prairie, a spokesman for Sunnyvale, California-based AMD. Nvidia provided the graphics chips for the current generation of Sony game consoles.The New York presentation is expected to focus on Sony's effort to deliver better integration with its entertainment properties and the ability to shift content off the device to the internet, Pachter said.Tablets, phonesThe Wall Street Journal reported that Sony would unveil the new console at the February event.Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft have been working to position consoles as entertainment hubs capable of delivering movies, music and games. They're trying to reverse a 22 per cent decline last year in sales of games, hardware and accessories sold at retail.Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, is expected before the end of the year to begin selling a new Xbox console that includes more processing power and more home-entertainment features, people with knowledge of the situation said last year.Last week, Nintendo cut its full-year forecast for sales of the new Wii U home console to 4 million units from 5.5 million as it struggles to compete with tablet computers and smartphones made by Apple and Samsung Electronics. Games for those devices typically sell for less than $5, while packaged video games fetch as much as $60.